Microsoft’s $100 billion Nokia acquisition: Absolutely unbelievable! [April Fool, 2010]

How prescient was my post last year for April Fools Day? 😉 It had the headline: Microsoft’s $100 billion Nokia acquisition: Absolutely unbelievable!

It ruffled a few feathers during the morning of the 1st of April. The story was slightly believable. You know, you could imagine Microsoft buying Nokia. But it’d have been a big gamble. And a huge, huge story. It was, fundamentally, unbelievable though. Even at $100 billion. Nokia was still flying back then. It still had momentum.

Fast forward just 10 months and it’s quite a different story. Both companies really need each other.

If time permits, have a read of the logic I used in the post. Here’s a quick flavour:

Analysts reckon that whilst Microsoft’s new Windows Phone has a pretty good chance of success in the North American markets, the reality is that India, China and the other major developing economies are completely cold to Microsoft. And guess who’s storming ahead in those sectors? Nokia. 1.2 million handsets a day fly out the Nokia factories, many of them low-end handsets aimed at the developing countries.

I’d love to say I predicted it all a year ago. But, no. Alas it was pure guess work at that point…